Nut-lock



(NoModeL) L. D. SPRAGG.

NUT LOCK. No. 559,629. Patented May 5, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

LORENZO D. SPRAGG, OF MARION, OHIO.

NUT-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 559,629, dated. May 5, 1896.

Application filed January 11, 1895- Serial No. 534,537. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LORENZO D. SPRAGG, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Marion, in the county of Marion and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nut-Locks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawin gs, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in nut-locks, principally designed for use on railroads, to prevent unscrewing of the nuts by which the rails are connected together by the jar of the cars; and its object is to provide an improved device of this character which shall possess superior advantages with respect to simplicity and economy in construction and efiiciency in use.

The invention consists, essentially, in a V spring-washer adapted to be inserted on the bolt between the rail or fish-plate and the nut, made from a single piece of spring metal comprising a straight horizontal portion, a curved portion bent over upon said straight portion to form a loop with the end bent outwardly at an angle thereto, and a flat arm formed by bending the opposite end of said portion backwardly alongside of said straight portion, as will be hereinafter fully described an d claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of arailroad-rail, showing my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the washer detached. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same.

In the said drawings the reference-11w moral l designates the rail, 2 the bolt, and 3 the nut, which may be of any ordinary construction.

The numeral 4 designates the washer, consisting of a spring-metal bar, bent to form a straight portion 5, a curved arm 6, one end of which is bent outwardly or to one side, as seen in Fig. 3, and a flattened arm 7, formed by bending the opposite end outward and backward and then downward, so that while said arm is approximately parallel with said portion 5 it is out of the way of the nut.

The manner of using the device will be readily understood. The washer is placed on the bolt, which passes loosely therethrough, with the flat arm 7 resting on the base of the rail or fish-plate, if the latter be used. The nut is then applied and screwed home, clamping the washer between it and the rail and forcing the end of arm 6 over or into line with the straight portion 5. The tension of the curved spring-arm will cause the nut to bind tightly, whereby liability of backward movement of the nut is prevented.

Having thus fully described myinvention, what I claim is As an improved article, a nut-lock consisting of the spring-metal bar having its upper end curved to embrace a bolt and then bent forward and outward to form a horizontal portion in a different plane from the curved portion, and against which the bottom of a nut is adapted to bear, and then bent outward, backward and downward and flattened and adapted to bear upon the base of a rail, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LORENZO D. SPRAGG.

\Vitnesses:

L. V. UNOAPHER, J. H. DWYER. 

